Mr.
Joaquin "Joaqui" C. Roces: (laughs) I was born in April 10, 1939 here
in San Juan de, the old San Juan de Dios Hospital. I'm the eldest of three,
my brother is Eddie Roces and my sister, Rocio who passed away I have four
sons, two are here in Manila and two are abroad.

Q:
Sir, your father is mister ?

A:
Joaquin P. "Chino" Roces.

Q:
Sir, so, where did you, where did you have your, study your gradeschool?

A:
I had my grade school in La Salle, Taft, high school in Ateneo, college in UP
(University of the Philippines).

Q:
You're graduate of what degree?

A:
Ah, well, I took up journalism but I really learn more by practicing it in
the office of the Manila Times. Then, ah, I shifted to agriculture but I
still ended up being in the newspaper business.

Q:
You graduated journalism or agriculture na po?

A:
I did not, I did not graduate agriculture, I took it as a special subject.

Q:
Ah, special subject but your degree is in journalism?

A:
Well, not really 'cause I stopped. I wasn't, ah, learning anything new at that
time because, ah, my, my teachers were, ah, most of them were, ah, our own people
in the old Manila Times. So, I really learned more by going abroad, visiting
other newspapers and

Q:
Sir, how about, ah, right after you get out of college what was your, ah, where
did you first work? Manila Times na po?

A:
Manila Times.

Q:
So, you started as a cub reporter ?

A:
I started as a messenger boy just like my father did until I be until
a couple of years later I ended up being the circulation manager and then transferred
to other departments, going through with the police beat and then to the
photo department until, ah, 1966 I started on my own together with my cousin,
Tony Roces and Andrew Go, the old Daily Star.

Q:
So, sir, um, having a flashback dun sa yung reporter days nyo, can you recall
any memorable instances?

A:
Well, you know I use to go home with Max Buan and ah, um, what's his name?
Another most of these police beat reporters, with Rod Reyes going to you
know, same day, going to Tondo and same at the hospitals, people being hit in
the head with these darts and the violence has people don't realize
that how much violence is been going on until you see it in the hospitals, in
the emergency wards.

A:
Ah, no, it's, ah, it's exciting you know, it's something new everyday which
one, one thing that there is always something different. Same thing, I remember
one time with my father we went to the Port Area because there was a tiger loose.
And we followed the whole, ah, thing, this guy was hunting (unclear word) the
tiger and then one day we went to Mayon because the volcano erupted and my father
got lost for eight hours because the guide, one of the policemen, ah, left him
and he was missing for eight hours.

Q:
So, sir, is it more of, um, influence from your father that lead you to journalism
or ?

A:
Uh, well, I guess so because at, ah, 13 after school I would already go to the
office and wait for my father until I officially started working at 18.

Q:
How about, ah, have you ever thought of, ah, yung nga besides agriculture, yung
mag-divert from the family profession?

A:
Um, not really because that's the only thing I really know, so, that's all I
know.

Q:
So, sir, you've been through with the naging photographer din kayo?

A:
No, I stopped because when, ah, it became quite expensive you know, yeah, as
you know, ah, every six months there's a new model and you, the tendency is
to want to have the latest and it becomes too expensive.

A:
Ah, well, I was jobless for 17 years when, when Martial Law was declared, so,
yeah, I started with my own small piggery, started with 5 piglets, I was able
to get a place in Novaliches, rented a, ah, an empty piggery and I started with
5 pigs until I was able to get, ah, 30 (unclear word) producing about 300 pigs
a day, until the time came when, ah, my piggery was hit with pseudo rabies and
I lost the whole piggery in 20 days, so, then I have to start all over again
until came 1986 when the revolution came.

A:
After a while, ah, Mr. Geny Lopez asked my father to join him to put up the
Manila Chronicle again. So, I joined them to handle circulation and advertising
for a while. Then, ah, my father, after a year, my father was asked by his elder
brother to help him, which, with the Manila Times, the Manila Times, unfortunately
3 months after my father passed away.

A:
I think about, ah, nine years ago. We started with the Makati Village Voice
and then after a couple of years we went to Alabang Village Voice (unclear word)
and then EDSA-Ortigas Village Voice.

Q:
Sir, so, ano pong parang concept ng Village Voice?

A:
Well, it's a tabloid size paper that we catered to the A market so we decided
to distribute it to the villages of Makati, Alabang and Greenhills. It's a

Q:
So, pa community paper.

A:
it's a sort of a community but with more, ah, it's a yeah, community.

Q:
Is it, ah, some sort of a newsletter ?

A:
No, no. I'll give you a copy.

Q:
So, sir parang ano, yung mga ano, more or less parang ano yung focus nung Village
Voice? What does it really ?

A:
It's more of like, light news and, ah, well, actually, community, community
and then most of our, I think I would say 90% of our readers are women, 'cause
we have, ah, things pertaining to the house, we have, as a matter of fact the
ads are you don't, you don't even find them in the, in the big dailies, noh,
like carpentry or anything wrong with your plumbing.

Q:
Sir, aside from Village Voice you still have other ventures like?

A:
Well, I hope I can come up with a broad sheet paper by October, ah, this is
the other way around, this is by subscription unlike the Village Voice it's
given free. So, ah, I intend to start only in Metro Manila only by subscription,
more of, ah, in-depth news, more of investigative reporting. I cannot compete
with the dailies now, so, it's too much money involved.

Q:
Sir, mind telling yung name nung newspaper?

A:
Well, I hope to call it the Sunday Paper.

Q:
Ah, so, it was be a weekly?

A:
Weekly initially. More of ah, investigative reporting.

Q:
So, sir, how about with the Sanggunian? That's you also own this company?

A:
Ah, it's more of, ah, local government. Ah, perhaps, ah, Albert here (referring
to his partner present at the office) can explain it further, Albert oh, later
on.

Q:
And then sir, I've heard na you have also an establishment in Baguio?

A:
Well, that was our, ah, it's called Il Rocio, our family summer house. When
Martial law was declared and, ah, the family had no income, my brother who brought
up the idea to turn the house into an inn so that, we did that and that's how
the family survived during Martial law years.

A:
Well, ah, simple, ah, money. It needs a lot of money to go on daily, you need
something like 1.2 to 1.5 billion for the, to be a far number four. If I had
that kind of money I don't think I will

Q:
Um, other memorable experiences with your father?

A:
Oh, yes, ah, we used to go fishing every Friday afternoon, come back Monday
morning straight to the office. We go to, ah, Bataan, or Corregidor or a part
of Batangas.

Q:
So far how, how can you describe yung na-impart ng father nyo being the defender
of press freedom?

A:
Oh, yeah. Well, ah, I guess he got it from his father where he always said always
be just, noh, to everything. Ah, yeah, maybe the way he was brought up and that's
the way I experienced, that was the influence of that.

Q:
Sir, how about with your children right now?

A:
Well, ah, we're a different generation but, ah, they have their ways, I don't
want to tell them what to do because

Q:
Joaqui, Joaquin the third is also in media?

A:
Well, he's more of into printing.

Q:
Ah, printing.

A:
Yes, he's got his own

Q:
How about the others?

A:
Tony is in the States, he's an automechanic. Eddie is into, I don't know if
he's into insurance or stock market and Martin is a kagawad here in Quezon City.
I just told him until kagawad no politics

A:
No, because the you have to really concentrate on that, actually, I'm not there
for the money 'cause it's, it's like, I don't know I guess it's a mission that
I have to go to. Because if it's money I'll go into other businesses where it's
more profitable, there's very little money in journalism I can tell you that.

Q:
So far, sir how do you view, ano yung parang in one sentence how can you state
your mission talaga in the medium?

A:
I know many people who think I'm crazy or I'm dreaming but, ah, I want to bring
back journalism to pre-war times, when I see this envelopmental journalism that
is going on for the past 20, 25 years, it, ah, breaks my heart, you know, because
it's, it should be an honorable profession. Unfortunately, people are not being
paid well enough so the temptation is there.

Q:
Pero sir if you are to conceptualize one tabloid, how can you like put so much
content on it?

A:
What do you mean?

Q:
It's like, if you are to make, in your mind, if you are to make, ah, a newspaper
na irregardless of broad sheet sya or tabloid sya what do you think would appear
to be a, a good, a very good newspaper that people would like be enlighten in
reading it?

A:
Well, in the first place I don't think it should have (interruption phone call)

Q:
Sir, going back dun sa if you are to conceptualize a tabloid what do you think
would be the quality of a good newspaper?

A:
Ah, well, you know this thing of these nudity should be out of the newspaper.
Unfortunately, people use that to get to the (unclear word) to attract buyers,
noh. Okay you attract buyers but you don't attract readership.

A:
kung totoo naman iyon (unclear word) pero just be sure that it's correct, that
it will, ah, be sure it's not liable, ah, libel, noh. So, that's why, ah, this
broad sheet that we are trying to come out with I'm telling my people, "even
if the story takes 6 months to develop it's okay as long as you get your facts
right". That's the reason why I'm giving, it's going to be a weekly, so that
you have time, a story comes out on Monday you have one whole week to check
and verify and give the other party the chance to refute. But you have to have
the complain evidence before you do that.

Q:
Sir kasi with the case of like Pres. Estrada and the Inquirer wherein they go
to kahit na yung mga personal details na nagko-comment siya on a certain woman

A:
Oh, well, that's you know, when you're in the government you're exposed just
like these actresses, actors and actresses they all want to be in the public.

Q:
So, you think it's just justifiable journalism or is it sensational?

A:
Oh, well, sensational it's a, personally I wouldn't go to it, noh, but ah, as
long as it does not, ah I don't know what to say there

Q:
Let's say destroy someone's reputation

A:
Yeah, but it is reputation is everybody, like you said in the case of Mr.,
Pres. Estrada he said his life is an open book so, it shouldn't bother him.
He should continue doing if he says for the country, continue doing that, don't
stop. Anyway, history will judge him in the end.

Q:
Ah, sir, diverting, dun sa, about po dun, can you tell more about the Chino
Roces' Foundation?

A:
Well, ah, when that started, it was a way of, ah, trying to help people into
doing, ah the foundation has been giving awards to people who have been doing
things for their country, for the, for (interruption)

Q:
more about the Chino Roces is it some sort of like Pulitzer?

A:
No, not all eventually it should be something like that but now it's, ah, there's
not enough funds that's our main problem, ah, some before somebody donated
two, ah, mobile clinics, dental mobile clinics. Unfortunately, we were not able
to maintain it, so, one is I think being used by Malacaņang to do dental, and
then the other one is by another group, ah, to, going around the provinces to
do dental work but it's really deviate from the corporate property of the foundation.

Q:
Sir, ah, how can you describe yung business ng news publishing, was it, what
is it like for you?

A:
Well, ah, things are getting harder nowadays because like with the cost of newsprint
it's something like 42,500 pesos for a ton of newsprint now, while before Martial
Law used to cost only 850 pesos a ton. So, so, I don't know why people still
insist on charging 12 pesos for a newsprint, for a paper when in fact (DUBBED
AUDIO CUT)

A:
but don't expect to make millions. As long as you, all I can tell you, as long
as you got your health, I think that's, ah, and you do your part it's a good,
ah, profession.

A:
Then I moved to where did I go? But high school I went to Ateneo. Then college
UP, both Los Baņos and, and here (points finger, referring to non other than
Diliman). (garble of words) as a special student in Los Baņos without anything
to it. Then AB-Journalism here at UP.

A:
dalawa dahil I was not learning anything that ah, I didn't know through experience
while cause I was working in, in the office noh. I wanted really more of ah,
newspaper management than, than actual writing.

Q:
Um, basically yun po yung reason nyo, is that you want more into news into,
into

A:
running the business noh, than

Q:
yeah, running the business

A:
than, than writing.

Q:
ah, not because na nag-shift po kasi kayo sa agriculture, it's not that you
wanted to venture to another

A:No, actually my dream was to be a rancher since I was a kid but ah, because
of the exposure of journalism since I was kid.

Q:
Then you grad, you didn't graduate din po ng agriculture?

A:
No more, I get it as a special student. I would go everyday to Los Baņos, go
classes and then go back to Manila.

Q:
Bale, that's, that agriculture class is good for like one term or

A:
Ah, for about one year.

Q:
Ah, one year din po.

A:
Yes.

Q:
Then sir, you mentioned din po na you became a messenger sa Manila Times?

Q:
Sir doon sa ah, ex, ah, sa two years ng being a messenger then you've been to
circulation department and you've, ah, backed up some police beat reporters
and also you worked at the photo department?

A:
Photo production.

Q:
Bale, um, any memorable instance po na

A:
Well, my most memorable is really the police beat because yung everyday there's
something new at different coverage.

A:
Well, I remember, ah, one night, together with my father we went to Port Area
because we were, chasing a tiger that got loose from the zoo and, and then there
was this guy, so called white hunter, he called himself the white hunter who
would try to catch this particular tiger in the pier.

Q:
How old were you?

A:
Ah, we were quite ah, I was in my past 20s yata yun.

Q:
Oh, so nag, kinover nyo po bale yung story na iyon?

A:
Yeah. Even with my father, we, they're following the, the whole event. In that
case some reporting at the same time recording it to the radio station that
we had DZMT.

Q:
How about sir, um, I remember one incident that you mentioned with the Mayon,
the Mt. Mayon?

A:
When one of the, one of the times that Mayon volcano blew its top my father
went there, I was accompanied by one of the chief of police at the certain town.
But ah, as my father was approaching practically on the 6th mile, 6 kilometer
distance, it blew up and then my father was missing for about 8 hours.

Q:
So, you were within the vicinity looking for

A:
No, no I wasn't there I was in ah, right in, in town and then, I wish I could
show you the picture, he really looked funny in that hat of his on and all covered
with ash.

Q:
Oh, he was stuck somewhere

A:
Yeah.

Q:
Sir, is it okay if I take a look at the picture one time.

A:
What?

Q:
Yung mga pictures po ni

A:
Pictures. I wish I could find that I don't know where they are.

Q:
How about some family pictures of you with ah, your father while growing up?

A:
My father? Yeah, I will see if I can get some, noh, it's actually with my brother.
We'll see if I can get some.

Q:
Sir, then, um, you've mentioned that ah, you've been influenced by your father
being inclined to the business of newspapering

A:
Well, the exposure is there ano, since, since I was thirteen so it has to get
into the blood somewhere.

Q:
Yeah, cause the Roces are like known for Pero nung nag-shift po kayo into agriculture
is there any reaction that your father had like

A:
No, no. No, as a matter of fact ah, my father was telling me that ah, my father,
my grandfather, ah, were planning to move to Mindanao, to Bukidnon because there,
there was a ranch that ah, that they were trying to get and ah, they was, he
was planning to move the family there but then the war came, so that was gone.

A:
Ah, no, not my father that's in his blood, you couldn't do anything his life,
that was his life - newspaper, his life.

Q:
How about your mom po? Um, any influence that she has on you, with, with what
you are right now?

A:
Um tsk, maybe yeah, some, but ah, my character I suppose the well, the sermons
I used to get from her and on behavior and you know, you know, somehow it's
there.

Q:
Your mother is, ah, Pacita Carvajal, the singer?

A:
Carvajal. No

Q:
Was she

A:
Ah, well, when she was young, when she was about 17, 18, she used to sing over
this radio KCFM ah, which was managed by then Mr. Koko Trinidad, who just passed
away a couple of days ago. He's the father of Noel Trinidad with you know

Q:
So, nung nag-asawa po yung mom nyo she stopped singing?

A:
Oh, yes, yes, it was not really professional I think, more of an amateur she
would sing and her sister would play the piano.

Q:
Yeah, but once in a while she, does she have a piano back in her home?

A:
Oh, yes we have a piano and all, all the brothers and sisters of my parents
would be musically inclined. My other uncle, Carvajal, the father of that basketball
player, used to sing and play the guitar. And another aunt of mine used to come
out on stage.

A:
Yeah. Well, there's on, on the Roces side, there's one a cousin of mine, si
sino ba yun, she just got married. She's on the Roces-Reyes side. She's ah,
Subtana I think or

Q:
Sir, then you mentioned na you started working at 18 years old ?

A:
More or less. Well, thirteen I was already going to the office, noh, after school,
attend there observing.

Q:
So, yung naging messenger po kayo around 18?

A:
Mga 18.

Q:
So, mostly yung environment nyo po is Manila Times talaga, or you get to

A:
Almost. Manila Times and then later on I, well, I would also visit when we had
already channel 5 and, and the radio stations, I would go there to look, noh,
to look at the other kind of media.

Q:
Before, even before po ba, um, do you have any idea kailan po na-acquire, cause
a Roces also handles ABC-5?

A:
Yes, ah, my cousin, ah, Marquitos Roces.

Q:
Was it recently or before ?

A:
No, that was in the when did we start? I think in the 60s I think, that's
when we started channel 5. And then radio DZMT, DZWS, DZTM and other provincial
stations.

Q:
Sir and then, um, also you mentioned that you were 17 years jobless?

A:
During Martial Law.

Q:
when Martial Law was declared. So, primarily with those 17 years, what have
you been

A:
What I did?

Q:
yeah, keeping yourself busy with?

A:
Well, I said I started with small five piglets, in the backyard. Ah, picking
up slop, kitchen slop everyday in restaurants, mixing it with, with commercial
feeds until well, that was what I was doing, providing.

Q:
And then sir um, can you describe Village Voice, how was it as a paper?

A:
Oh, it's a tabloid size paper catering to the ah, local means of the community,
like ah, we started with ah, Makati Village Voice which covers villages, A B
villages in Makati. Then we started the Greenhills, Edsa-Ortigas Village Voice.
And then we have the Alabang Village Voice.

Q:
The Alabang is the

A:
Last one.

Q:
the last one. Sir, how, how is the paper going right now?

A:
Oh, it's doing very well.

Q:
It works by subscription or ?

A:
No, we give that free.

Q:
So, how, how do you get to finance the paper?

A:
By advertising.

Q:
Mostly, advertisement.

A:
This is the Village Voice?

Q:
Uhum. Then, sir on October 15, your latest, the one that you've been busy with
right now.

A:
Oh no, yeah, this is the harder one.

Q:
So, how was it again sir? Ah, like how thus Sunday Paper ?

A:
It comes out every week, ah, I wanted it to be strictly subscription but ah,
I don't think I can make it strictly subscription. So, I decided to start ah,
spreading it to the agents noh, newspaper agents again. I only discovered when
I approached my old agents to find out that 99% are all dead and it's all the,
the children handling the, the they left it now.

A:
Oh, as you can see they're younger generation. The editor here is only about
34 years old. They are all young, I'm the lolo here.

Q:
Sir, did you get other personas from, like are there

A:
Are there investors? I wish there were.

Q:
like other people from the newspaper na who approached you if would want to
work with your paper, as correspondent or

A:
Ahhh not, not yet, that will come when I'm bigger. It's always that way, when
you're up there

Q:
Do you accept like sir correspondents, like they get to submit stories?

A:
Yeah, yes.

Q:
More on the focus is on politics or ?

A:
Uh, well, right now it's politics but, ah, I'm interested on other things. Like
population. I personally think that that is one of the odd reasons why we're
in this mess, we are over populated. We cannot educate our children properly,
feed them and yet, and all reports that the government publishes for a family
of six do you need so much (garble of words). Why in heaven's name do we always
have to say for a family of six, why not a family of four ano, a replacement.
Why do we have to have more than three? I mean it's easy to have children, that's
the fastest thing we can do but to give them a proper education, feeding them
especially for the past ten years our country's down.

Q:
Sir, with the Village Voice, does the Village Voice have a web site right now,
like are they going on line, going with the technology?

A:
I No, I think they want to.

Q:
How about with the Sunday Paper, the Sunday Paper?

A:
Yes we are, but ah, we are, but ah, we're not concentrating on it too much.
But we will be there.

Q:
Sir, how about the Sanggunian what happened cause you used to be ? A: Finances.
Finances, you know.

Q:
Sir, who was the other guy, the one that was from La Salle I think?

A:
Albert.

Q:
Albert. He's working right now with you again?

A:
No.

Q:
Sir, one last question. So if, um, you're gonna, you're gonna relate Joaquin
Roces, Jr. with journalism how would it be like? Is journalism, how would you
define journalism being a part of your blood as a Roces?

A:Well, you know it's hard because people expect me to be like my dad and ah,
it's hard to look under that shadow. So, I just go on day to day. When I
was young, I could tsk you know, I can do better than my dad, so let's
see how this go, as you get old then you melt, you are not as mayabang as you
think you are. Ah, well, it's, it's a long way we have to do our part in, our
share on developing our country.

Q:
But how was it like being a Roces?

A:
Ah, terrible you have to behave all the time.

Q:
Are there not really regrets but like which

A:
Well, there are advantages and disadvantages in like advantage, opens
doors to many people disadvantage is you have to be at your very best,
especially if you got a father like my father, you know, you don't want to destroy
what he did to our society.

Q:
But if you were given the chance to choose your career, like, not being branded
as a Roces would you have chosen still to venture into publishing or ?

A:
I'll be in the, in the farm quiet, peaceful life. Ah, so much competition here,
noh. The only reason why I'm sticking to it is I don't know, somehow I, I feel
I have a role to play it is not financing definitely.

Q:
Sir currently being a publisher of the Sunday Paper what are your visions for
your proposed new paper?

A:
A plan well, the idea is to first to survive the first year. My vision is to
print at least 50,000 copies within three years, noh. And I'll be very, very
happy if we can do that.

Q:
How about, um, here thinking of idealism how would you think this paper would
mold or shape our society right now, despite all the chaos and ?

A:
That is it. I keep talking to Johnny Mercado, the Press Foundation of Asia,
and Ermin Garcia, Joe Burgos, that's it we are trying to see what we can do,
little by little. It's a long process which I can't answer right now.

Q:
Sir, your message again to budding journalist who would like to venture in the
same field that your are in right now?

A:Think many times before you invest your money. Think many times.

Q:
Is it easier to be a publisher than to be a journalist, I mean full-time journalist,
like covering the beat ?

A:
No, it's, as a journalist, writer, you know, you got your, you can always move
from one newspaper to the other, there's no problem But ah, then the publisher
putting the money out, that's a it is like a bottomless pit.

Q:
So, sir right now your, your, the company you are holding is primarily this
one.

A:
Yes.

Q:
Um, It's a different thing with the printing press

A:
Oh, yeah.

Q:
or same

A:
With the printing press it's money coming in, while in the newspaper business
it's still everything is going out first.